Author's Note: Fair warning that there is slight blood talk in this chapter and a sharp object. If that's too much for you to handle, please skip the chapter. You'll be able to figure out what happened as the next chapter picks up. :)
They had left her in the basement for forty-eight long hours while the Alpha tried to make up his mind what to do about the situation, or better yet, decide if he actually had the balls to do what needed to be done. He didn't, of course. There'd been some pleading with his Beta and eventually he'd amended his original proclamation: he was willing to clip her ears to teach her a lesson and impress his point upon her, but he couldn't publicly shame his Luna. He just couldn't bring himself to do it; this was too personal a matter.
He sat behind his desk, a ball of nerves as he cracked his long fingers loudly and awaited his brother's arrival. It wasn't long before the Beta knocked once, opened the door, then harshly shoved the petite Luna into the room. "Sit down and keep your fucking mouth shut," he demanded.
Despite the fact that she was shaking in fear, she still dared to speak up. "What did you do to Cee and Teej?" she hiccuped through tears. "Did you hurt Cee?"
Sensing that she wasn't considering a daring escape, Ryan tossed himself down into the chair beside her and groaned. "I'm impressed with how well you listen. Do I need to repeat myself?"
Ophelia continued to show zero acknowledgment of her mate seated behind the large desk. Instead, she shook her head and glared daggers at the Beta.
Chris had spoken a mantra to himself, promising that he would not cry in front of his apathetic mate, that he would speak to her as her strong and dominant Alpha because this was pack business. But the second Chris' eyes met Ophelia's, they began to leak with unshed emotions and frustration. His voice was gruff as he tried to speak around this. "Crimson is fine and TJ is missing."
The Beta jabbed a finger into his Luna's arm. "Any idea where I might find the piece of shit?"
She shook her head slowly and focused her brown eyes on the floor, her only sound a delicate squeak that could have been "No".
The Alpha glanced at his brother and then realized that Ryan wasn't going to come to his rescue. Defeated, he trudged forward with a frown and tears brimming over in his eyes. "Ophelia, there are so many questions that I need answers to, but for now I'm going to speak and I just ask that you listen." When she didn't even acknowledge him, he continued. "You are here today because you broke pack rules in aborting a pup. You have also broken established pack rules in leaving our property without alerting any of the guards or myself. Do you understand?"
The Luna barely glanced up as she snorted. "If I asked permission to leave you would have said no."
Realizing that she was baiting him, Chris ignored this. "A Luna is meant to be a mother to her people and to serve at the Alpha's right hand in establishing order within her pack. She should at all times set a flawless example for her wolves."
Ryan actually laughed at this, leaning back in his chair and crossing his tattooed arms over his chest.
Trying not to react to his brother's outburst, the Alpha continued in a stern voice as his purpose was renewed and his tears began to dry. "Our pack is experiencing an exceptionally low, a dangerously low birthrate, and has been for nearly a decade. You were informed of this fact. In addition, before you were even selected as Luna, it was explained to you that a Luna is expected to bear her Alpha's pups with pride. I sat behind this desk and laid this information out for you while you 'Yes, sir'-ed me to death. Do you remember that meeting, Ophelia?"
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White Lightning
Werewolf[Ongoing Serial Novel][Werewolf] [MIW] In our world, for every female pup born there were five very eager and wanton males waiting for her to turn of age. Some packs considered their females to be ripe at sixteen, but my great-grandfather had establ...
